USW Calls on Congress to Continue Strict Enforcement of Trade Rules

The United Steelworkers (USW) today sent a letter to members of the U.S. House and Senate urging them to ensure that strict enforcement of fair trade measures continues despite the coronavirus outbreak spreading across the world.

“The USW strongly urges Congress and the Administration to not undermine existing trade enforcement authorities such as 301, 232 or traditional anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders,” USW International President Thomas M. Conway wrote. “Efforts to revoke or repeal such relief measures or delay duty collection could very well have a devastating impact on workers struggling to simply survive.”

Measures such as the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum have provided American workers and manufacturers with stability, and relaxing enforcement of such duties during this crisis would take that away when it is most needed, Conway said.

“Our members have seen the importance that tariff relief can mean,” Conway wrote. “Plants have restarted, businesses have reinvested and turned a profit and American workers were able to bring home a living wage.”

Conway also pointed out that previous economic crises have led to a surge of imports and job losses, and cautioned against allowing the coronavirus outbreak to have the same result.

“Importers and their trade associations want Congress to overlook the significant record of illegal acts conducted by foreign companies and states to hurt American jobs,” Conway wrote. “Our union stands strongly against these measures.”

The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations

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